Hello, and question.

[Hawkeyes18]

Hello, I am fairly new at fishing but there is nothing I love more.  I really started seriously fishing after a week long trip to Canada last summer that was a blast.  Anyway I mostly fish for Walleye, and Northern/Muskie, but after this recent summer trip on which I caught a 19 inch, 4 pound Smallmouth I have been hooked on Bass fishing so I am trying to learn all I can.  

My question is, I was wondering if someone could tell me exactly how to set up a Carolina Rig?  First off, what equipment is needed, what rod/reel combo is best for fishing a Carolina Rig, what baits are best fished on a Carolina Rig, and where and how is it best used?

I really appreciate any help and I look forward to learning from more experienced anglers.

[senko_77]

i am not the master at c-rigging, but i can give you the basic help you need.  the carolina consists of the components in the this order.  heavy bullet weight (1/2oz. or bigger) a bead, a swivel, a leader of 12' or more, then your hook and a soft plastic.  so this is instructions on how to make the rig.  first, slide a big bullet weight up the line, then slide a bead up the line.  it really doesnt matter what color bead it is.  then tie a swivel on the line.  this stops the weight from advancing up the line toward the worm.  now take a long strand in line, and tie one end to the swivel, and the other end to the hook.  then add your soft plastic to your hook.  fish the rig on a heavy duty baitcaster, and a 7 ft. medium heavy, to heavy action baitcasting rod.  cast out to target, and work the bait with a sweep of the rod.  this will move the worm, and the weight will drag on the bottom, kicking up silt that gets the bass's attention.  also, when the weight hits an underwater object, it makes that worm dart and wiggle.  the purpose of the carolina rig is so the worm can float above the weight, and target fish who are off the bottom.  this is a very effective rig.  just work it slow.  here are some links to help you learn.

http://espn.go.com/winnercomm/outdoors/fishing/i/P3_f_carolina_rig.jpg

http://www.fishin.com/articles/georgewelcome/C-rigarticle/carolinarig.htm

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/carolina_rig.html

i hope this helps.  this is a great technique.  welcome to the forum man!

[Hawkeyes18]

Hey thanks a lot man, I really appreciate the help.

Just one more question, do you Texas-rig the soft plastic then or is there a special way to rig it?

[Gatorbassman]

Welcom to the site. You Texas Rig the plastic.

[nwgabassmaster]

I will add to what my buddy, Senko77, said.  For the reel, I would go with a reel that has a gear ratio of 5.2:1   That means, that for every turn of the handle on the reel, the spool will make 5 rotations, taking up that amount of line.

I like this, cause it causes the angler to slow down the presentation, with, this time of year, is better, I feel.  It also has a little more winching power, so, you are able to get a more solid hookset, and are able to horse the fish away from any cover that might lay on the bottom.

As for the T-rig question, the T-rig is just a weight that is slid up the line, and then, the line is attatched to the hook, with the soft plastic.  There is no swivel involved, although, you can add a bead for added noise.  Also, I feel that the actual act of rigging a soft plastic so that it is weedless, using a hook, can be called Texas-rigging the soft plastic.

Hope that this helps, and welcome to the forums!   ;D

[senko_77]

texas rig it.  is that all the info you needed on that rig??  if u have anymore, feel free to ask.  also, check out these posts.  these are when other people asked your same question, and these are there responses.  enjoy!

http://bassresource.com/cgi-bin/bass_fish/YaBB.pl?board=gen_bass;action=display;num=1120348381

[senko_77]

hey john, he was talking about if your rig the worm texas style on the back of the c-rig.  

[Hawkeyes18]

Yea, I was just asking about rigging the bait, but thanks anyway.

Yeah just one more question, is there a certain time of year, or a certain type of cover/bottom structure that it is best used with?

[senko_77]

summer and winter are the best times to use it.  and any bottom will do.  bottoms with brush piles or rocks are preferable.  

[nwgabassmaster]

I fish a C-rig from mid-summer through mid-winter.  Fall time, I might slack off.

I fish main lake points, secondary points, the river channels, etc.  If you can find brush on those locations, or some other type of cover, all the better.

Just remember to slow down, even when you think that you are fishing slow enough.

[Hawkeyes18]

Thanks a lot guys, and I actually just thought of another question.  

What type of soft bait do you usually use when fishing a Carolina Rig?

[Gatorbassman]

The short answer to your question is No.

The only thing the time of year effects is the length of your leader when fishing grass. I fish an 8 to 12 inch leader in the spring and lengthen it, as the grass grows longer as the year progresses. The C-Rig is a great rig to work in and around any cover.

I fish anything from finesse worms to the a 14 inch monster homemade worm.

[gamblerOH]

I mostly use  paca craws by netbait but any plastic will work. Depending on the bite and whether i was fishing day or night I would use anything from a lizard or a tube   and on a slow day will most likely end up using a finesse worm.

[Rattlinrogue]

Welcome Hawk.For bait on a c-rig,I've had most of my success on a Zoom 6" lizard,but all kinds of plastics can be used.From worms to senkos,finese worms,french fries,etc.I used a Sweet Beaver on my c-rig early this morning and caught a couple.

[JaxBasser]

Thanks a lot guys, and I actually just thought of another question.

What type of soft bait do you usually use when fishing a Carolina Rig?

Depends on the situation,During the spawn i like to use Lizards,but in my opinion the most productive bait overall for using on a C Rig are Regular ol plastic worms,followed closly by Creature and Craw baits.

[nwgabassmaster]

Honestly, the time of the year depends on what I will use.  Although the big lizards, from 8-10 inches are the old standby, newer lures are taking their place.

I use lizards, creature baits, flukes, and finesse worms.  

When the bite is tough, I will gear down toward the finesse worms and the creature baits.

If I know that the bite is on, I want something that is going to look natural, so, I will go up to a fluke, or the lizard.

If it's in between, I will let the bass tell me what they want.  

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Welcome to the site.  By the body and content of your questions, I can see you mastering one bait at a time via the internet.  When you are very confident and versatile c-rigging, we'll be ready to set you up with the next technique.  Great questions to learn what you need to know but if you use the search option above and explore the "articles" or the "old and new testament" as I like to call them, you'll see a plethura of knowledge at your fingertips.  Print some to take with you to th lake when learning a new technique so you can refer to it as the condition you are approaching dictates.

Good luck and catch 'em up!!

[Curado]

My C-rig rod and reel is a Shimano Curado on an All-Star 7'0 Tom Mann Jr. C-rig rod. I will throw just about any soft plastic bait.